The World Is Watching
by Contrary To Popular Belief
Summary: It's the first Hunger Games. Everyone sees the announcement on television. Twenty-four teenagers will go in. One will come out, victor of the very first Hunger Games. *SYOC!* *CLOSED*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

**District 7 (Arnina Fleetvale)**

'The announcement on TV is required viewing for all of Panem.' Sylvie reminded the Fleetvales as they sat down to dinner.

'Why do we care?' muttered Ardin. 'It's probably just blathering about how we brought all this trouble on ourselves and yada yada ya.'

Mother frowned. 'Don't let anyone catch you saying that, Ardin. People have been imprisoned for less.'

'Let's just be quiet and watch the thing!' Arnina said, punching the On button of the television. 'It could affect our lives.'

'That's what I'm afraid of.' said Mother. They squashed together on the small couch to watch.

The screen showed President Tarlat walking serenely up to the microphone. She gave her I'm-so-glad-to-be-delivering-your-death-sentence smile, and started talking.

'Citizens of Panem,' she intoned. 'The rebellion has set this country in turmoil. We don't want that to happen again. So, here at the Capitol we have found a way to make sure it never happens again.

'From now on, every male and female from the age of twelve to the age of eighteen will go to the Justice Building of their district and sign up. Their name will be put in a reaping ball on a slip of paper.'

'What's a reaping ball?' asked Sylvie. Three heads turned to shush her.

**District 2 (Alex Burningwood)**

Alex wrinkled his nose as he watched. 'So what is this? Some kind of popularity contest?'

President Tarlat went on. 'The name of a male and female from every district will be drawn from these reaping balls. The male and female whose names are drawn will proceed to the Capitol on a train. They will be put in an arena specially devised for this purpose.'

What purpose? This didn't sound good.

'They will stand on metal plates for exactly sixty seconds. When this is over, they will fight to the death.'


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**District 11 (Haylo Maxxette)**

_You'll be fine, _Haylo told herself. _Why should you be chosen, out of all the other teens? You're being unrealistic._

Still, she couldn't hide the uneasy feeling she had.

Haylo walked towards the town square of District 11. Other teens were starting to gather there too. They stood in front of a raised dais. On the dais was a table with two glass balls filled with paper slips on it. _Two of those slips have my name on them_, thought Haylo. She hoped that her slips of paper were well down the bottom.

A woman with neon green hair tripped up to the dais. She was wearing a bright pink dress, the shoulders of which stuck up far above her own. She beamed, showing a mouthful of silver-coloured teeth.

'Greetings, District 11!' she trilled. 'I'm Vivida, and I will be escort to the two lucky tributes who will be chosen shortly.'

Lucky tributes . . . what?

Vivida went on. 'Now we will choose our female tribute.' She reached into the bowl on the right and selected a slip of paper. She drew it out and read it.

'Haylo Maxxette.'

* * *

**District 9 (Sandria Helswith)**

Sandria Helswith felt sick as the escort from the Capitol droned on about the Dark Days and the rebellion and how lucky you all are to be potential tributes and that stuff. She swallowed as he reached into the reaping ball that contained girls' names.

_Snap out of it. You won't be reaped._

The Capitol man pulled out a slip of paper and read it. 'Larissa Helswith!'

_Oh, no._

The girl called Larissa made her way up to the platform. She was a sickly, pale girl . . . who happened to be Sandria's cousin.

Sandria felt even worse. Larissa wouldn't stand a chance in the arena. _What should I do?_

Suddenly she knew. She stepped forward and raised her hand. 'I'll be a tribute instead! I volunteer.' All eyes turned on her.

'I volunteer!' Sandria repeated loudly. The escort looked surprised out of his life. 'Well, there are no rules . . .' he stammered. 'Oh, just come on up.'

Larissa shot Sandria a grateful smile as she darted back to her family. Sandria took a deep breath and stood up straight. _You asked for this, _she thought. _Deal with it._

* * *

**District 8 (Elsabeth Dejeanor)**

'And our female tribute for District 8 is . . . Elsabeth Dejeanor!'

_Oh, no,_ Elsabeth screamed inwardly. _Not me! Please!_

She stood still, hoping they would think they had made a mistake and call someone else.

'Go on!' A girl behind her shoved Elsabeth forward. At this, all the other girls joined in, pushing her up to the front. Elsabeth stood there, hunching her shoulders and hoping this was just a dream. But it wasn't. In a week, she would be trapped in an arena and expected to kill other teens for the entertainment of Capitol citizens. Could this get any worse? Probably.

* * *

**District 2 (Alex Burningwood)**

Alex Burningwood stood behind some other teens his age in District 2's square. He felt righteously angry. Why did the Hunger Games, as they were being called, have to apply to his district? The Burningwoods and other District 2 families had been loyal to the Capitol during the rebellion.

He watched the escort from the capitol make her way up to the raised area where the two reaping balls stood on little tables. She was a small-boned woman with a pinched hourglass figure. The gold tattoos on her arms stood out on her dark skin. Her hair was blindingly yellow, and her eyes looked strange.

She beamed and waved at the crowd. 'Welcome to District Two's reaping! I'm Tresha Elvatter and I'm going to be an escort for the two lucky tributes who will be chosen very shortly.'

She went on to talk about how she was sure District 2 would shine in the very first Hunger Games, and how by participating, they were proving how very loyal they were. What rubbish. If the Capitol thought District 2 was _really _loyal, they would have excluded it from this whole shenanigan.

Alex's head snapped up when he heard Tresha say, 'And now, it's time to pick our tributes!' She reached into the girls' reaping ball and drew out a slip of paper.

'Our female tribute is—

'Wait!' A girl with auburn hair ran forward. 'I volunteer!'

Tresha looked startled. 'Well . . . of course you can. Come on up, dear. And now for our male tribute.' She took a slip of paper out of the other reaping ball. 'Alex Burningwood!'

Alex took a step back. This was not happening. It wasn't fair! He pushed away this thought. If he was going to stand a chance, then it might be good to accept his fate like a man. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

* * *

**(Kivuta Seiswen)**

Kivuta stood on the platform, glaring angrily at Ginger, her stepmother. _That'll teach you to mess with my family,_ she thought angrily. Ginger's expression was a mixture of concern and horror. _Stupid woman._

Maybe her life was too big a price to pay for revenge on her stepmother, but what was done was done. Kivuta glanced at the male tribute, Alex Burningwood. He was from one of those loyalist families, right? She hated those people.

Tresha spoke again. 'District Two, let's all give a big round of applause for our tributes, Alex Burningwood and Kivuta Seiswen!' The people of the district clapped wildly. It wasn't like they had any choice.

Kivuta swallowed. She had made her choice. Now she would have to face the music.

* * *

**Credits**

**Haylo Maxxette – sunnydayz111**

**Sandria Helswith – Farali B**

**Elsabeth Dejeanor - TikTakJabberJay**

**Alex Burningwood –MarinaTheJolteonMaster**

**Kivuta Seiswen - POMforever**

**Arnina Fleetvale - Contrary To Popular Belief (I know that's me, but I will NOT show any favouritism. That is a promise.)**

**Thankyou to everyone who sent their OCs. I'm sorry I took so long to update.**


End file.
